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Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences MA-ETEU

Master in European Studies

Master in European Studies

This formation is taught in french and in english (focus Politique européenne), or in french (focus Histoires et Cultures d'Europe).

The 2020-2021 programme is subject to change. It is provided for information purposes only.

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  • Programme title
    Master in European Studies
  • Programme mnemonic
    MA-ETEU
  • Programme organised by
    • Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences
  • Degree type
    Masters 120 credits
  • Tier
    2nd cycle
  • Field and branch of study
    Human and social sciences/Political and social sciences
  • Schedule type
    Daytime
  • Languages of instruction
    french / english
  • Theoretical programme duration
    2 years
  • Campus
    Solbosch
  • Category / Topic
    Human and social sciences - Political and social sciences
  • Jury President
    Amandine CRESPY
  • Jury Secretary
    Julien JEANDESBOZ

Details

General information

Degree type

Masters 120 crédits

Theoretical programme duration

2 years

Learning language(s)

french / english

Schedule type

Daytime

Campus

Solbosch

Category(ies) - Topic(s)

Human and social sciences - Political and social sciences

Organising faculty(s) and university(ies)
Infor-études

Contacts

+32 2 650 30 77

marie.therese.teixeira@ulb.ac.be

http://www.philoscsoc.ulb.bd

Student support

Throughout the academic year, students are able to benefit from educational and practical support from both the teaching and administrative staff. Set office hours are indicated at the beginning of the year.

Succeed in your studies

ULB offers a number of activities and resources that can help you develop a successful strategy before or during your studies.

You can make the transition to higher education easier by attending preparatory courses, summer classes, and information and orientation sessions, even before you start your studies at ULB.

During your studies, many people at ULB are there specifically to help you succeed: support staff in each faculty, (inter-)faculty guidance counsellors, tutors, and experts in academic methodology.

Presentation

  • Relate current events in European politics to their long-term histories

  • Understand the multicultural realities born out of integration, by transcending ‘methodological nationalism’

  • Understand the political, legal, and cultural references—as well as the different actors in play—in the integration processes

  • Develop a critical thinking ability on key European issues

  • Accumulate practical experience and interact with practitioners of European affairs

  • Build a career path and acquire the means to follow it through

  • Understand the historical, political, legal, economic, and socio-cultural underpinnings of European integration, as well as the EU's main policies and the functioning and relative competences of EU institutions

  • Perfect oral and written communication skills with regards to political, economic, and social analyses, tailored to a target audience with a multilingual and multicultural background

  • Develop skills for summarising, analysis, comprehension, and writing

Teaching is to combine training through lecture and practice. It notably emphasizes inter-sectoral contacts (e.g. negotiation simulations, field surveys, interactions with practitioners, internships). New technologies and e-learning are an integral component of the teaching provided to the students.

The MES is a high-level academic programme that is oriented towards the professional sector. As such, it combines academic excellence and critical awareness on the one hand with optimal preparation for the job market on the other hand. It is neither purely academic, nor a strictly professional programme geared towards training one-dimensional professionals. Compared to other programmes, the MES’ most distinctive feature is the numerous interactions it sets up between excellence in research and education, which in turn sees students offered up-to-date international expertise.

  • A privileged location in Brussels , the capital of the European Union and headquarters of the EU’s main institutions

  • A faculty involving teachers from several national and professional backgrounds, including both academics and practitioners

  • A very international student body with a variety of identities, languages and national cultures represented

  • A tradition of excellence in the field of European Studies since the IEE is one of the oldest Jean Monnet Centers Excellence (i.e. since 1963 ) as well as a recognized forum for high-level debates on the EU and its future

  • A centre for dialogue on European issues with among other the participation of European and international decision-makers

  • Numerous international partnerships that provide its students and its researchers with a proven global outlook.

MES students can seize upon the opportunities provided by the department’s numerous Erasmus program agreements to include a mobility action in their training curriculum.

Access conditions

Programme

The Master in European Studies (MES) is a programme rooted in political science, but one that is resolutely open to interdisciplinarity. In addition to its core focus on political science, it has a strong historical dimension and significant contributions from sociology, anthropology, and law.

The MES’ educational project is to offer students a comprehensive curriculum that includes: a structured approach to the foundational aspects of European politics, covered by the programme’s core courses; an organised introduction to real-world practices associated with European policymaking, including through various professionalisation modules; a concerted effort to encourage critical self-reflection, among other with a ‘dissertation’ module; and a specialisation effort reflected in the choice of one of the programme’s three modules: ‘the European Union and Globalisation’ (1); ‘Europe, Communities, and Societies’ (2), and ‘the European Union as a Regulatory Area’ (3).

With this in mind, the education provided by the MES is anchored in the latest research on the EU’s multiplicity of components and dynamics. It seeks to contribute to an understanding of all components of the EU as both a political order with its own structures and a set of bureaucratic processes, institutional players, and civil society mobilisation dynamics. It addresses the conflicting identities, values, and norms involved in (de-)legitimation, and contributes to structuring a European public space.

This makes the MES an intellectual space in which students can become—by learning critical thinking skills and the practices of European citizenry—the political and professional actors needed for the Europe of tomorrow.

What's next ?

Prospects

Students can aspire to as many different careers as there are professions associated with Europe. They might choose to orient their careers towards research, teaching, or journalism. They are equally prepared to apply for a job in European and international institutions, or to pursue a career as a national public servant, including within a permanent representation. Additional opportunities exist within the European divisions of consulting firms, lobby groups, or non-governmental organisations.